Inkling
by pathera
Summary: Rick O'Connell always though there was something funny going on between his brother-in-law and his friend. A companion to All He Can Do and Hot Sand. Jon/Ardeth slash, Rick/Evy fluff. One-shot.


A/N: Welcome to a sort-of/kind-of companion to _All He Can Do _and _Hot Sand_. This one doesn't have much actual Jon/Ardeth action in it, and it's a lot heavier on the Evy/Rick fluff, but I wanted to tell part of the story from someone else's view. I am planning another companion piece with Jon and Ardeth back in center stage soon, but I thought I would post this in the meantime. Please excuse any grammatical errors, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine. So, so, totally not mine.

Warnings: Mentions of slash. Don't like, don't read. Simple as that.

Inkling

Contrary to popular belief, Rick O'Connell is not as oblivious as his wife would choose to believe. He sees the look in his brother-in-law's eyes, sees the self-satisfied cat-ate-the-canary smile on his wife's face, sees the familiar dark shadow slipping through the hallways of their hotel.

They think he doesn't notice, but he knows something is up.

He corners Evy when he sees her listening intently to a dark, shadowy corner. She looks at him and her lips stop moving; she smiles and walks towards him, as the human-shadow darts away.

He folds his arms as she approaches.

"What are you up to?" He asks in his suspicious way.

She tilts her head, gives him a little smile. "Nothing, dear."

He scowls.

"Don't you 'nothing, dear' me, Evy. I know something's up."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice has an almost sing-song catch to it, a smug I-know-something-you-don't-know quality. His eyes narrow.

"Evelyn," he growls. He looks over her shoulder, to where she had been standing. "Why is Ardeth here?"

She raises an eyebrow. "He's not."

He rolls his eyes. "Yes he is, Evy."

"Maybe he has business here in Cairo."

He stares at her, arms folded. "Business with Jonathon?"

Now he finally gets a little reaction: she shifts her weight, bats her eyes innocently.

He's not falling for it.

"I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

"Liar."

She looks around then grabs his arm, tugging him down the hallway to their room. She pulls him in and closes the door behind them. "Nothing is going on, Rick."

"Mhm." He says, arms folded again. "Let me put a little logic to use here."

"Logic? You?"

He glares.

"Ardeth is here." He says, ticking off a finger. "Jonathon looks happier than he has in months." Another finger. "You are having mysterious conversations with particularly shadowy corners." Another finger. "You've been keeping Alex out longer at night." He stops, looking at his wife.

"Spill." He orders. "Or do I have to deduce something from all of that?"

She gives him a challenging smile. "What do you think is going on?"

"Jonathon and Ardeth?"

She doesn't say anything but her triumphant little smirk says it all.

"Really?"

"Do you have a problem with that?" She says in a quietly dangerous way.

He holds up his hands defensively. "No. Just a little surprised."

She shakes her head, a little smile on her face. He looks at her.

"You already knew, didn't you? Even before this."

She raises an eyebrow as her only response. He takes it as a conformation.

"And you didn't tell me?"

"You didn't need to know."

He doesn't particularly like that answer but he accepts it.

"How long has it been going on?"

Evy shrugs. "I'm not quite sure. A while."

Rick stretches out on the bed, looking at his wife. "What are they going to do about it?" She tilts her head at him and he elaborates. "Are they just going to keep finding excuses to fly back and forth around the world in order to see each other?"

She shrugs. "I don't know." She stretches out beside him, inching closer. "I suppose they'll figure it out."

"Were they planning on telling us at all?"

She shrugs again, the little lifting of her shoulders. "Neither of them are particularly forthcoming with their secrets. Jon knows that I know, but whether or not they choose to come right out and say it is up to them."

"You are taking a particularly passive role in this, Evy." He says. "Or so it seems…."

She turns her head towards him, smiling. "Who do you think told Ardeth we were coming?"

"He probably already knew."

"I don't doubt that. I just slipped him a few other details. The hotel, Jonathon's room number, what time of night he would be alone…."

"Matchmaker."

She snuggles closer to him, draping his arms around her. He obliges, pulling her in tight. "You love me though."

"You're more trouble than you're worth."

She mock-frowns, jutting out her lower lip.

He smiles, a broad smile showing all of his white teeth, and kisses her. In the middle of the day they lay together on the bed, wrapped in each others arms, as a golden-haired boy amuses himself with a new friend; as a shadow slips into the room across the hall and ensnares a brown-haired man in a long embrace.

The sun beats down outside, but inside there is only the beating of their hearts.


End file.
